A 26-year-old Malaysian man could be the person controlling the actions of several Islamic State sympathisers in the Muslim-majority country from his base in Syria, a top police official said.
Three of the nine suspected Islamic State militants detained this month, including two allegedly involved in the nightclub bombing in a suburb here last month, had taken orders from Muhammad Wanndy Bin Mohamed Jedi, Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said.
Jedi had also ordered another attack on an entertainment outlet in Johor.
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One received orders to attack police headquarters here and government complexes in Putrajaya, he said.
They were detained along with six others, including three Iraqi militants and a 17-year-old in Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah and Kelantan between July 20 and August 9 by the Counter Terrorism Division.
The three Iraqis are former soldiers who have been in Malaysia for a few months while the six Malaysians are three VCD sellers, a factory operator, an excavator driver and an unemployed man, Khalid said.
"The Iraqis were using Malaysia as a transit point. The three had tried to obtain forged travel documents to launch an attack on a Middle Eastern country," Khalid said.
Two suspects in Batu Pahat and Kuala Krai were detained for harbouring Jasanizam Rosni and Md Saifuddin Muj, he added.